Laboratories & Equipment

Archaeological Laboratories

The Yale University Archaeological Laboratories (YUALs) facilitate and support both research and teaching as well as the management and curation of Yale’s archaeological collections.

YUAL users must be familiar with the online training information, safety guides, and lab policies.

Archaeomaterials Suite

51 Hillhouse Avenue, Rooms 4 and 4A

Includes research space for microscopy (Ziess Axio Imager M2m digital petrographic microscope with digital camera and software; Olympus SZ61 reflected light microscope with digital camera and software; Olympus BX60 petrographic microscope with digital camera and software; Leica EZ4 reflected light microscope), portable XRF (two Olympus Vanta VMR portable XRF instruments with various test stands), and sample preparation (Buehler IsoMet slow-speed sectioning saw; Hi-Tech Diamond rock saw; Inland tile saw; Buehler MiniMet 1000 grinder-polisher; vacuum epoxy impregnation setup; ultrasonic cleaner). All houses shared field equipment, including: Garmin GPSMAP 64s handheld GPS units, DJI Mavic Air drone, Munsell Capsure digital color recorder; NogginPlus 250 ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system; GeoScan FM256 Fluxgate Gradiometer; Topcon GTS 236W total station with updated Carlson Mini2 data collector; and various DinoLite handheld digital microscopes.

Archaeomagnetism Laboratory

51 Hillhouse Avenue, Rooms 5 and 5A

Includes a magnetically shielded room and a sample preparation/support space, including a Princeton Instruments alternating gradient magetometer (AGM) for rock magnetic characterization and a portable susceptibility meter.

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Laboratory

10 Sachem Street, Room 3

Equipped with a Thermo Scientific Phenom XL G2 Desktop variable-pressure scanning electron microscope (SEM) with backscattered-electron (BSE) imaging and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS).

Teaching & Research Laboratory (“The Dirty Lab”)

10 Sachem Street, Room 23

Includes three pottery wheels for students to produce ceramic replicas and a Thermo Scientific Thermolyne benchtop 1100°C muffle furnace.

Clean Laboratory (“The Clean Lab”)

10 Sachem Street, Room 24

Includes a Thermo iS5 transmission FTIR and an iD7 diamond ATR attachment, Eppendorf 5430R refrigerated high-speed centrifuge, Thermo Scientific Solaris 2000 open-air orbital shaker, Daigger Vortex Genie 2 vortex mixer, and an Ohaus Pioneer PX Balance.

Digital Archaeology Laboratory

51 Hillhouse Avenue, Room 1